Readers of this blog and those who follow me on Goodreads and Twitter will know how much I love the incredibly awesome Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix, therefore it comes as no surprise that I'm dedicating another blog post to some of the books featured in that penultimate horror collectors guide of sorts.
This time 'round I'm taking a look at some vampire themed novels, one of which is widely known thanks to a certain movie staring Brad Pitt, whereas the others, not so much (at least to this reader anyway). I'm also including a couple of books not featured in Paperbacks from Hell which still fit the theme, 1. they have vampires , 2. were published in the 80's by TOR Horror (who are responsible for loads of cheesy b-grade horrors), and 3. cheesy cool covers!
The House of Caine by Ken Eulo (mass market paperback, published 1988 by TOR Horror)
This book features a nasty hive of bloodsuckers who wreak havoc on a town community. Spreading fear by stealth, these creatures of the night delicately pick and choose their prey, preferring to remain out of sight to keep the gravy (blood) train following year after year. Having these creatures on the peripheral allows the author to focus on story and character and while this won't suit everyone, it does add to the suspense and real-world feel of the book.
There are some nice scenes but this feels largely like a daytime movie. The threat of horror is omnipresent yet it doesn't really come to fruition to satisfy that scare craving you want from 80's mass market horror books. As for the vampires themselves, Ken Eulo prefers to leave his creatures of the night in the dark, shadows with a hint of realism to put just enough fear into his non-bloodsucking characters.
Overall, The House of Caine is enjoyable and easy to read. However, it just wasn't dark enough to quench my thirst for blood.
My rating: 3/5 stars.
Black Ambrosia by Elizabeth Engstrom (mass market paperback, published 1988 by TOR Horror)
A different kind of vampire novel which substitutes outright blood and gore for implied and subtle horror; leaving the acts of violence to the readers imagination and ultimately making the book more scarier.
The gentle slant towards horror at the beginning of the book holds the remainder in good stead as Angelina, the unassuming vampire slowly builds and comes to accept her lust for blood. The transformation from a helpless child to hardened killer is executed perfectly with the end result nothing short of breathtaking.
One of the more enjoyable aspects to Black Ambrosia is the fact that this is a lone wolf (vampire) story. Angelina doesn't have like-minded nightmarish ghouls to hang out with so the book and story is all about her; her struggle, her travels, her desire for a sense of place.
Despite starting off in young adult territory, there are some seriously dark moments in this book which fans of horror and darker fiction in general will enjoy.
My rating: 4/5 stars.
Side Note - Black Ambrosia is set for a reprint from Valancourt Books as part of their Paperbacks from Hell series.
Interview with the Vampire by Ann Rice (mass market paperback, published 1994 by Warner Books (originally published 1976)
Perhaps the most well known story of the gothic romantic vampire. The sophisticated, wealthy, and attractive rendition of the creature of the night is at the forefront of Ann Rice's original (and somewhat tedious and wordy) vampire novel which adopts an interesting method in telling what is a decent and dangerous tale of Louis, a newly 'born' vampire, set predominantly in New Orleans and later, Europe.
Using an interview as the primary method to deliver a wordy yet engrossing story, the interviewer (an inexperienced and naive reporter - at least that's how he seemed to me) and interviewee (Louis, the vampire) slowly paint a picture of pure darkness complete with taboos, violence, and a hint of madness.
While the story and premise are solid enough, the delivery drove me to distraction; some sequences are far too wordy, consuming copious amounts of print to barely progress the story. I largely skimmed the second half of the book and enjoyed it more for doing so.
My rating: 4/5 stars.
Side Note - I've not seen the movie to comment on which is better or how accurate the adaptation compared to the source material.
Blood Hunt by Lee Killough (mass market paperback, published 1987 by TOR Horror)
True to the title, Blood Hunt, features Garreth Mikaelian, a police officer turned vampire on the hunt for the timeless beauty of the night who sunk her fangs deep into his throat in search of companionship to end her dark and isolated eternal solitude.
For Mikaelian, the endless dark holds no allure nor does the womanly pleasures of the seductress who turned him. With any semblance of normalcy gone, he turns his sights on a blood thirsty quest for vengeance in search of the solitude which had evaded him in his previously life as a middle grade police officer.
More crime fiction than horror, Blood Hunt, really is a police procedural with supernatural elements (vampires) thrown in. Largely on the peripheral, the bloodsuckers play a supporting role that isn't essential to the story proper. You could easily substitute the vampire element for a criminal on the run being pursued by a rouge cop and get the same result.
The book was 'ok', there's nothing new from ether crime nor horror and the story did meander a little during Mikaelian's road trip/blood hunt, however, I generally found myself turning the pages fast enough to see how everything played out.
My rating: 3/5 stars.
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